Monday, February 23, 2009

Moab Brewing Looking to Expand

Looks like Moab Brewing is looking to expand it's brands both locally and nationally. Last month Moab put out feelers for contract brewer/bottler/canner to handle expanded distribution on both the east and west coasts. As well as creating new relationships with distributorships nationwide.

Moab is also looking to expand upon it's brand name in other locations, including opening more Moab Brewery restaurants and moving into production of their world patented 7 pack containers which are both for bottles and cans.

I for one would like to see a Moab Brewpub somewhere along the Wasatch front. Even though Moab's beer is available in most stores through out Utah.

I heard a rumor they were looking into opening a brewpub in Logan. Anyone have anything on this rumor?

8 comments:

Andy
said...

I don't often buy Moab beers, unless I am actually in Moab. They don't have a bottling line facility there, and they have always contract brewed all of their beers in Montana. I don't think of it as a local beer. The brewpub is definitely the place to spend your evenings in Moab, though, with beers served on tap being brewed fresh on-premises. Here's a link to MB's ad for a contract brewer: http://www.probrewer.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=38287I guess the contract brewer in Michigan doesn't have the capacity for their planned expansion?Also, from post #3 there I wonder if they will brew full-strength and import to Utah?

Good questions all. Who in Montana brews their beer for bottling? Talking a 'full-strength' beers, I am still fighting the good fight to encourage Utah breweries to take advantage of the new laws allowing for the sale of such beers (for take out). Only Wasatch has taken this to heart with 3 new high ABV beers in a year. And all three are great successes. Wintefest is great.

The contract brewer for Moab's outside ditribution I believe is only a contract brewer. They have no lables of their own. It sounds like Andy might have more info on them than me.

Uinta has been working on getting their "Take out" licience for some time. They ran into a snag when a church opened-up next to them. So now they have to have a "come to Jesus" talk every time they modify their licience. Even though the brewery was there first.

Madison River Brewing Company is MOSTLY a contract brewer. They have a small lineup of their own label, I think so that they can capitalize on having a tasting room and local market around their hometown of Belgrade, Montana. They contract brew for several other breweries besides Moab.

From a 'reliable source' I have heard that Moab has leased the defunct Blackstones Steakhouse, located where the old Deseret Industries was on 255 South Main.

However, this location is outside the designated "Historic Downtown" area, which is the only place where brewpubs are allowed under the new ordinance. From my sources on the Downtown Alliance, which lobbied to get the ordinance changed, this is unlikely to happen.

It is my understanding that they might put in 'fake brewtanks' and ship in their beer from Moab, or wherever.

I live close to the Beehive Grill. I can't say that it has made a big impression here in Cache Valley. For whatever reason restaurants here have a tough time getting the right chef, the right advertising the right liquor license, they all seem to have an extra short life. I think it has to do with the community here not wanting to become a regular at an establishment. Weird.

It's all about what is new and opening next here which has a terrible effect on turnover for all folks involved.

As for the beer sales there, I don't know if they carry a Moab beer. Sadly I am a beer flavor snob and just can't bring myself to purchase Utah's regulated low beer with no taste. I absolutely love the Squatters IPA!!! Now that's a beer!

fwiw, A little over a year ago my wife and I took a tour of the Budweiser Brewery in St. Louis, Missouri. We were just passing through on a drive East. An amazing place, and even if you don't like "rice-beer" like I don't, the private tour is worth paying for! The point here is the main brew system is run by one to four people depending on the day of the week, it's so automated now. I asked the question "So in low beer states, how exactly are they getting the 3.2-4.0 beers, is it the brewing process, "green beer"?" His response without hesitation was "It's water.... that's all, it's watered down".This response makes me dislike low beers even more, I feel I am getting ripped off, and wish others would stop supporting it so we could get some real beers in bars and pubs! Squatters has taken the first step in a few of their products, let's support those!

Demand drives everything in business, and as long as people like my drunk idiot neighbor that drinks Pabst Blue Ribbon all day keeps buying the stuff, they'll keep making it.